Edward MacDowell, 1860-1908

Papers, 1880-1967

MC 15

4 Boxes (1.33 cu.ft.)

About Edward MacDowell:

Edward Alexander MacDowell (1860-1908) was the first American composer to achieve international recognition. Born in New York City in 1860, MacDowell studied music as a child and travelled to France at the age of 15 to begin a nine year residence in Europe. He returned to the United States in June of 1884 to marry Marian Nevins. Praised for his compositions as well as for his piano playing ability, MacDowell was a popular figure throughout the late 1880s and early 1890s. In fact, he was described by some of his contemporaries as “the greatest musical genius America has produced.” In 1896, Columbia University offered MacDowell a job as as Professor of Music and he taught there for eight years, resigning in 1904 due to philosophical disagreements with the faculty. By 1905, MacDowell suffered from what was diagnosed as “nervous exhaustion,” an ailment that resulted in complete “cerebral collapse.” He died in 1908 at the age of forty-six. The MacDowell Colony of Peterborough NH, established by Marian MacDowell soon after her husband’s death, was the “amazing realization of the composer’s dream of an ideal environment for creative work in Music, Art and Literature.”

**See Porte, John F., Edward MacDowell: A Great American Tone Poet His Life and Music. London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1922.

About the Edward MacDowell collection:

The Edward MacDowell Collection primarily contains musical works by MacDowell in both manuscript and printed form. However, the collection also includes correspondence from Robert MacDowell to his mother, a notebook, a sketchbook, letters from Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, magazine articles and newspaper clippings, information about the MacDowell Colony, photographs, and a scrapbook commemorating Peterborough’s celebration of Mrs. Marian MacDowell’s 95th birthday.

I. Correspondence

BOX 1
f.1	Edward MacDowell to his mother, 1880-1901.
f.2	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1929-1931.
f.3	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1940-1948.
f.4	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1949-1950.
f.5	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1951-1952.
f.6	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1953-1954.
f.7	Marian MacDowell to Robert Manton, 1955-1956, with Christmas cards, n.d.Miscellaneous, “M.M. from R.T.,” 1945.
f.8	Miscellaneous, “M.M. from R.T.,” 1945.
f.9	Miscellaneous letters to Robert Manton, 1948-1967.

II. Manuscripts

f.10	Notebook, personal notes of Edward MacDowell.
f.11	Sketchbook, early sketches by Edward MacDowell.
f.12	Unidentified fragment with an Edward Lear drawing and limerick, n.d.
f.13	UNH speech bestowing an Honorary Master of Arts to Marian MacDowell, 1928.
f.14	Unidentified copy of a Thomas Bailey Aldrich poem, n.d.
f.15	Hale, Philip. “Edward MacDowell,” 1908 [handwritten manuscript].
f.16	“Roland Symphony,” n.d. [xerox copy].

BOX 2
f.1	“Indian Suite (Love Song),” n.d.
f.2	“American Indian Themes. Lower One Basis of `In War Time’ No. 3 of the Indian Suite,” n.d.
f.3	“Sketch of the `Legend’, Indian Suite,” n.d.
f.4	“Midsummer Clouds,” Op. 54 No. 2, n.d.
f.5	“Roland Symphony,” Op. 30, 1891.

III. Miscellaneous Items

f.6	Scrapbook, “Marian MacDowell Day, August 15, 1952.”
f.7	Eyeglasses, Marian MacDowell [broken].
f.8	Microfilm, printed works of Edward MacDowell, n.d.

IV. Published Music of Edward MacDowell

BOX 3
e.1	Op. 14. “Zweite moderne Suite.” Second modern Suite. Deuxieme Suite moderne….fur Pianoforte zu 2 Handen bearbeitet von Ludwig Klee. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel c.1883, 1911.
e.2	Op. 21. “Erster Abend Das Hindumadchen, n.d.
e.3	Op. 23, no. 2 in D minor. Piano concerto. ” `Benedick,’ a sketch for the scherzo from the Second Concerto for Pianoforte….” New York: Edward MacDowell Association, 1947.
e.4	Op. 25. “Lancelot and Elaine.” Zweite symphonische Dichtung nach Tennyson fur grosses Orchester. [Arrangement] Clavierauszug 4 Handen von Componisten…Breslau: J Hainauer, New York: G. Schirmer, c.1888.
e.5	Op. 26. “From an Old Garden.” Six songs. Verses by Margaret Deland. New York: G. Schirmer, c.1887.
e.6	Op. 32. “Vier kleine Poesien.” Four little poems. Für pianoforte zu zwei Handen. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel c.1906.
e.7	Op. 36. “Etude de concert.” For pianoforte. Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1889.
e.8	Op. 38. “Marionettes. Eight little pianoforte pieces.” Boston: New York: A.P. Schmidt, c.1929.
e.9	Op. 39. “12 Etudes for the development of technic and style.” Boston, New York: A.P. Schmidt, c.1918.
e.10	Op. 48. “Zweite (indianische) Suite…fur Pianoforte zu 4 Handen bearbeitet von Otto Taubman.” Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel c.1905.
e.11	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Piccolo I, Flauto I, Flauto II. New York: Kalmus.
e.12	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Oboe I & II, Clarinet I & II, Clarinet in Bb I & II. New York: Kalmus.
e.13	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Fagotto I, Bassoon II, Horn in F I, II, & III. New York: Kalmus.
e.14	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Horn in F IV, Trumpet in Bb I & II, Trombone I. New York: Kalmus.
e.15	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Trombone I, II, & III, Tuba, Timpani. New York: Kalmus.
e.16	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Violin I. New York: Kalmus.
e.17	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Violin II. New York: Kalmus.
e.18	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Viola. New York: Kalmus.
e.19	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Cello. New York: Kalmus.
e.20	Op. 48. “Second (Indian) Suite.” Basso I. New York: Kalmus.
e.21	Op. 52, no. 3. “The Crusaders,” three choruses for male voices. Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt, c.1899, 2 copies.
e.22	Op. 59. “4th Sonata (Keltic) for Pianoforte.” Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt, c.1901.
e.23	“Two Songs from the Thirteenth Century, No. l.” New York: P.L.Jung, c.1897.
e.24	“Six Fancies for the Piano: A Tin Soldier’s Love,” by Edgar Thorn (pseudonym for Edward MacDowell) Boston, New York: A.P.Schmidt c.1926.
e.25	“Transcriptions for the Organ from the Works of Edward MacDowell, Series I.” London: Elkin c.1926.
e.26	“Transcriptions for the Organ from the Works of Edward Mac Dowell, Second Series.” Arranged by C. Charlton Palmer. London: Elkin, c.1926.
e.27	“To A Wild Rose.” New York: Carl Fisher, 1953.

IV. Published Material About the MacDowells

BOX 4
f.1	Adams, Mrs. Crosby. “What the Piano Writings of Edward MacDowell Mean to the Piano Student,” 1913.
f.2	“All-American Catalogue of Contemporary Music,” n.d.
f.3	Brown, Rollo Walter. “Mrs. MacDowell and Her Colony,” The Atlantic, 1949.
f.4	Currier, T.P. “Edward MacDowell As I Knew Him,” The Musical Quarterly, n.d.
f.5	Hagedorn, Hermann. “The Peterborough Colony,” n.d.
f.6	“The Joy of Autumn,” Op. 62, n.d. [magazine clipping].
f.7	MacDowell, Edward, newspaper clippings, n.d.
f.8	MacDowell, Marian, newspaper clippings, 1937-1967.
f.9	McDowell, Marian. An Autobiographical Sketch, n.d.
f.10	McDowell, Marian. “The First Twenty Years of the MacDowell Colony,” 1951.
f.11	MacDowell, Marian. “A Piano Recital of MacDowell Music,” n.d.
f.12	“The MacDowell Birthday Parties: A Report,” 1953.
f.13	The MacDowell Colony, pamphlet & information, n.d.
f.14	“In Memoriam: Edward MacDowell,” Musical America. February 25, 1929.
f.15	“Symphonizing MacDowell,” Newsweek. March 3, 1947.
f.16	Readers’ Digest. “Pilot on the Glory Road,” October 1937.
f.17	Schmidt, Arthur P. “Edward MacDowell” & Compositions by Edward MacDowell,” n.d.
f.18	Sinclair, Upton. “MacDowell,” The American Mercury, n.d.
f.19	United States Postal Service. Stamp, Edward MacDowell, 1940 [2 first day issues].

V. Photographs and Postcards

f.20	Edward MacDowell, 7 images all undated.
f.21	“To Mrs. Marian MacDowell,” 1949.
f.22	MacDowell Colony, photographs, n.d.
f.23	MacDowell Colony, postcards, n.d.

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